I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears, behold I will heal thee.
2Kings 20:5

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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Reflection

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It's almost April...my favorite month of the year....it's my birthmonth AND it's National Donate Life Month. Two things I LOVE celebrating :) I'll be turning 36 years old...I cannot even believe I am that old (in CF years that's OLD) lol. I remember when I was very young and was attending CF CAMP I knew a few of "the old" CFers who were like 18 years old and very sick, wearing oxygen...and I remember thinking "I hope I live to be as old as them"...there just was very few people with CF who lived into their adult years...

It's just such a miracle to have lived long enough that I was one of the first patients to get pulmozyme.... a VEST system...then Tobi...then hypertonic saline...then Cayston...and although I've never taken Kalaeydeco I've lived to see all these advancements. I remember when a guy from camp named Charlie sold pizzas to raise money for his lung transplant..and it was still a very new procedure. I remember so many "new and breakthrough" treatments for CF. I remember when they first discovered the gene that caused CF in 1989 (I was just 10 yrs old). They knew so little about it when I was growing up. I feel like it was just a very misunderstood disease compared to what they know now. 

Who remembers manual CPT? That was the ONLY type of airway clearance. 

At CF camp, we had mandatory CPT time...like 3 times a day. Our camp counselors were responsible to do it. We had foam wedges to get better drainage. Pretty much my entire family knew how to properly do manual CPT with the cupped hands, it's all in the wrists...lol. Nebulized albuteral was about our only home prevention..well that and the giant syringe system for home infusions of antibiotics...I remember when I first got the medicine diffusion balls & those were an AMAZING invention that made home IV treatments soooooo much easier. 

I remember watching so many kids and young adults close to my age die from CF. I was very young when the reality of Cystic Fibrosis became too real to me. I had to deal with things most 
kids my age never even thought about. It was hard to process...I couldn't understand why some kids with CF did better than others. Either way I prayed I would live to be an adult. Those prayers were definitely heard.

My life has changed so much...but I'll never forget, I don't want to forget. My life with CF has made me who I am and looking back is just a reminder of what I survived and how far I've come. I had many hard things to endure...but for every thing that was terrible, I had amazing and beautiful experiences, friendships, life long lessons, and faith building moments...all of these things helped create the person I see when I look into a mirror. I don't know how many people can say that they truly like the person who stares back at them...but I surely do.


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Where to start to learn about my transplant!

Thank You for taking the time to read my blog. I am hoping that through this blog and my experiences that I can bring hope, faith and strength to all that may be living with Cystic Fibrosis, CF with Cepacia and Lung Transplant recipients. Information and blog entrees start Nov. 07. My Double Lung Transplant was on Dec. 10th 2007. Please feel free to read about my experience and ask me any questions! My email address is jamiebug77@gmail.com

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My Testimony

It's hard to put into words how I feel toward my Heavenly Father and the Savior. I have so many reasons to be thankful for what I have gone through & endured. Because of my trials in life I have gained a strong testimony of Faith. I have always had Faith in the Lord and in Prayer. As I faced the decision to get a double lung transplant I had to rely on faith to make the choice.....By listening to the spirit, I was guided to Pittsburgh where my life was saved. I believe prayers are answered. I have always tried to follow the philosophy of this: If I do what the Lord expects of me, he will give me what I want & need. That has always worked for me. I Believe in MIRACLES..........My life on this earth is a miracle- I prayed on my knees for years to be healed from my lung disease. I knew that through a priesthood blessing (if it was God's will) I could be healed. So many times I thought he would heal me instantly...my faith was tested as I continued to get sick and no cure was in my future. I turned to prayer....I talked to my Heavenly Father, I cried to him and he heard me and he healed me by guiding me to Pittsburgh and guiding the surgeons hands. I learned humility, and thankfulness. I realized that we need others to lean on and we are supposed to strengthen each others testimonies. I learned that the hardest things we'll do are usually the greatest blessings in our life. I was able to experience a lot of things during surgery and I know I had comforting angels in my ICU room. THe Lord knows each of us by name and he will never leave our side. We need to remember to stay close to him and have Faith that he is watching over us. I know this for a fact! I know that following the gospel will bring us true happiness- the world will tell us otherwise, but I know I am truely happy & living the gospel has brought me that. Amen